Winter sports federations "have been urged to fight any plans to move the 2022 football World Cup to the winter," according to the BBC. FIFA "has set up a taskforce to consider alternative dates after concerns over high summer temperatures in host country Qatar." But the Int'l Ski Federation (FIS) "fears its sport could suffer." FIS said, "FIS will submit a proposal to the six winter sports federations to sign a resolution against organising the World Cup during the winter" (BBC, 11/4). REUTERS' Karolos Grohmann wrote FIS "has long viewed FIFA's plans with suspicion, aware that a football World Cup, the world's biggest and most popular single sports event, would take away viewers and sponsors from the skiing season." FIS President Gian-Franco Kasper has repeatedly warned that "such plans would impact the skiing competition and has called on FIFA to respect other sports federations" (REUTERS, 11/4).

The legal wrangles of the Pakistan Cricket Board "has led to the cancellation of the short limited over series in South Africa this month," which could have earned the PCB at least $1.5M, according to the PTI. An official on the Pakistan board said that "both countries had discussed Pakistan going to South Africa directly from the UAE this month to play three one-dayers and a couple of T20 matches." The official said, "The South Africans were also keen on the short tour because of the fact that India has shortened its tour this December." The South African board had offered the PCB $1.5M to host them but PCB Chair Najam Sethi said that "he could not discuss the matter as he was suspended" (PTI, 11/4). The PTI also reported Sethi said that "cricket in the country is undergoing a grave crisis and the board currently is like a headless body." Sethi: "As things stand because of the legal issues we don't have a national selection committee, the bowling coach of our national team is stranded in the UAE without a contract and 89 employees of the board stand legally terminated from November 1 including some very important decision makers in the board." Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan also "expressed concern over the state of affairs in Pakistan cricket and wondered why, like other countries, elections could not be held democratically to elect the chairman of the board" (PTI, 11/4).

Riders and managers who have been involved in past doping practices "have been urged to come forward" by Int'l Cycling Union (UCI) President Brian Cookson "so that the sport can draw a line under its troubled reputation," according to Julien Pretot of REUTERS. Reacting to former rider Michael Rasmussen's series of allegations in a book published on Monday, Cookson wrote in an email, "All such allegations and confessions will be looked at by the new Independent Commission and we would urge anyone concerned to bring forward their information to the Commission." Following allegations made by Rasmussen in the book, Canadian Ryder Hesjedal, winner of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, admitted to doping "more than 10 years ago" last Wednesday (REUTERS, 11/4).

The Australian Rugby League Commission "is set to condense the State of Origin period into a shorter, more intense format in 2014 amid concerns" from National Rugby League clubs "the lengthy nature of this year's series created too great a flat spot for teams and fans" (AAP, 11/4). ... Football Federation Australia Referees Dir Ben Wilson has revealed "he explored the possibility of having extra referees stationed behind the goals" in A-League matches this season as the men in the middle "again came under fire following a weekend of contentious decisions" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 11/5). ... A nonprofit organization headed by Japanese lawmaker Antonio Inoki on Monday "opened an office in North Korea to facilitate exchanges between the two countries through sports" (KYODO, 11/4).